Monday, February 05, 2007

Ode to TV

I didn’t grow up with a television in my house.My grandparents had one of those huge furniture stereo / televisions in their living room and I remember watching a few shows on it, but mostly we read.We didn’t have television in our home, either. We were told we couldn’t afford it, which was probably true up to some point. But I don’t think it was really a priority to my parents, either.Once we did get a idiot box when I was in fifth grade the reception in our town was so poor we only had one channel. I remember how happy I was when the Nixon trials started rotating to all three stations, because then the television was only occupied by what I considered boring stuff one day out of three.By the time I was in college cable television was introduced ~ again to those who could afford it.I went for several periods in college and even afterwards when I either didn’t have a television or didn’t have cable, so I watched “Cheers” and “Designing Women” on a snowy black and white.But my kids have never known life without television.

In our most recent television cable / satellite TV switch (we switch at least once a year) we were hooked up to DVR.Now this is television.Pausing live TV, rewinding what they just said so you can pick up what you missed because someone was screaming or talking to you, recording shows on the television and watching them without messing around with tapes. It is truly wonderful.For the record, I am not older than dirt. I’m not even a half-century old, (although I am edging up on the 50 years mark) But still, modern convinces boggle the mind.So I had to scrap about it.

For those who are keeping track, Yes, I am still working on the Shane Magon wedding album, but I need more letters, so I'm at a standstill for the moment.

4 comments:

Hillbilly sister
said...

I can remember those days myself. Now, I am blessed with close captioning on the TV. It is amazing what I missed out in those days! I finally got our TV hooked up last Friday. (Super Bowl Football) I still don't miss it. We had been watching a lot of movies or TV series we had purchased.

DVR is my next dream. Since I work until 8:30 P.M. or later I really want one. I bought what I thought was a DVR for myself for Christmas 2005. It isn't and it still isn't hooked up. It is a DVD and CD player but not a recorder. I had the misfortune of buying myself a "cable ready" TV a few years ago just about the time when every thing was gearing up for digital, so when things started going digital I then had to get a cable box for digital TV reception so I was without a "cable box" for only about a year. I now need a Digital TV with a built in DVD player. I am always a day late and a dollor short. Sigh